Posts Tagged ‘magnet’

We’ve had a few jobs open up and we’d love to tell you about ‘em! Check out all the details below and if you think you’d be a great fit, we want to hear from you.

Part-Time Training Center Assistant (Evenings)

We’re looking for a friendly, responsible and detail-oriented office assistant to open, close and maintain the Magnet Theater Training Center. Hours are from 6-11pm Monday – Sunday. We’re looking for several candidates that can regularly work at least 2-3 nights a week.

Skills:

-Knowledge of MS Office Suite and Goggle Apps

-Ability to to lift 15 lbs.

-Please be personable, calm, efficient and detail-oriented—and of course, a sense of humor is a plus!

Lee Overtree, Artist Director of Story Pirates and writer/director of FOUND The Musical, sits down with our own Louis Kornfeld for a discussion on effective education, how children are amazing writers, and his experience in adapting unconventional source material for the stage. Story Pirates is a nationally respected education and media organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people and Lee has been there from the very beginning. He and Louis discuss improv in the classroom and on the stage and Lee asserts that desire drives learning. He also shares how the Story Pirates get kids to have fun with expository writing and talks about the Story Pirates Podcast. True to his Story Pirates roots, Lee grants Louis “permission to get weird” in this episode and it concludes with a lively talk about FOUND The Musical, a new show based on Found Magazine, and how sometimes the best direction to take a project is the most obvious.

Sketch writer, actor, and improviser Jesse Acini sits down with host Louis Kornfeld to talk about getting his start in comedy, the growth of the Magnet community, and having more fun along the way. An active participant in the NYC improv and sketch scene since the early 2000s, Jesse talks about The Second City in NYC, discusses studying with Gary Austin, and otherwise litters this episode with tidbits about the olden days. Not to mention, he provides some solid advice for aspiring sketch writers! Jesse and Louis have known each other for eight years and this is the longest conversation they’ve ever had — you don’t want to miss it!

Host Alex Marino sits down with stand-up, improviser, writer, and podcaster Brian Frange to talk about all things comedy. Brian brags about being the best actor in his high school but admits that becoming a stand-up ruined his chops. He discusses his feat of doing 70 open mics in 30 days and his appearance at this year’s Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival. Plus, Brian talks about founding Awkward Silence Comedy at Indiana University, how to find your comedic voice, getting started in stand-up and The Unbelievable Podcast, which he hosts. Frazzled Frange might even make an appearance!

For over four years, Brick has entertained Megawatt audiences each week with their hilarious, multifaceted attack and undeniable originality and last night, the Magnet community gave them the send-off they deserved.

With a full hour at their disposal, Brick began their set with a slideshow capturing the chemistry of a team that has spent over four years together and retained six of their eight original members with two delightful additions along the way. (They even had former member Tim Eberle cheering them on from the audience, showing the support that helped define such a team.) After the slideshow, the lights dimmed, Helter Skelter dropped in, rising in volume as the cast banged against the backstage wall, and Brick finally entered to do what they do best — give one hell of an improv show.

The ensuing set from Brick’s Rick Andrews, Julia Hynes, Joe Miles, Branson Reese, Amie Roe, Jamaal Sedayao, Caitlin Steitzer, and Jed Teres was filled with hilarity and indicative of a team that not only knows how to have fun with each other, but are also experts of the form. As the show reached its anticipated climax, the lights came down and the audience burst into a display of appreciation. The praise continued for the rest of the night and we’re sure the conversations about them will continue for years.

From their beginnings as “New Team Brick” to their Oh Shit! INSPIRADO throwdown to their string of “new form” shows, Brick has been a darling of Megawatt and improv at Magnet, and they will surely be missed.

The multi-talented sketch writer/performer, improviser, and head of Musical Megawatt, Michael Lutton, sits down with host Louis Kornfeld to discuss what makes for good musical improv and how it can benefit “regular” improv. He talks about the advantages of pushing boundaries when no one is looking and provides advice for improvisers looking to learn musical improv outside of NYC. This one is all about selling it in the moment.

On this episode of the Magnet Podcast, host Alex Marino chats it up with improviser and yogi Emily Shapiro about teaching yoga and doing improv in Costa Rica, Emily’s affection for Lord of the Rings, and people who look like Smeagol.

In order to meet rising costs and ensure that we keep the lights on, supplying you with the very best improv classes in NYC, Magnet’s low prices will be increasing slightly in January 2015. All core and conservatory classes will increase by $50, a change which will be reflected on the website as soon as next year’s classes go up.

We’re also adjusting our rules on retaking Level 4 classes. Beginning in January, you will only be able to repeat the same Level 4 at half-off. If you’d like to choose a new Level 4 with a different subject, you’ll be charged full price.

All classes that begin before January 1, 2015 will adhere to the current pricing — so sign up while it lasts!

We are now accepting applications for the Circuit Summer 2014 season! Circuit teams are made up of Magnet Theater students, graduates of our training program and veteran performers. We believe that in order to get better at improv, you need to do it.

The deadline to apply is Sunday, June 29 at noon. Teams will be announced Tuesday, July 1. Shows will begin Friday, July 11. Teams will perform Friday nights at 10:30 for seven weeks. If you have any questions email Circuit [at] Magnettheater [dot] com.

Ally Kornfeld, (Baby Shoes), one of the Magnet’s sketch writers, got a chance to take her idea for a TV Show, Cracking Royalty, to Austin Texas. She was one of the ten finalists in the ATX Television Festival’s Pitch Competition this past weekend. What is the Pitch Competition? It’s a chance to pitch an idea for a TV show to not only a live audience but to a panel of industry judges including Paul Scheer, Bryan Seabury, Julie Plec, Kyle Killen, Katie Krentz, and David Semel. Oh and get this: SHE WON.

“This winner will receive a meeting with one of our judges (based on the show’s genre/judges’ availability) to explore the idea of his/her series and gain notes to better develop the series. After the pitch is honed, the winner will then get a pitch meeting in front of one of our studio/network partners (again, dependent on the show’s genre and style) to try and sell his or her pilot for production.”